Brant Tarsitano is ready to fly. Photo by Rachel Mills
Teens-in-Flight camper Brant Tarsitano checks the fuel before a dual instruction flight at the Flagler Airport. Photo by Rachel Mills
Teens-in-Flight camper Jared Williams makes final preparations for an instructional flight at the Flagler Airport. Photo by Rachel Mills
Students are ready to take off for a dual instruction flight at the Flagler Airport. Photo by Rachel Mills
Col. Jack Howell founded Teens-In-Flight 32 years ago as a way to help teens who were dealing with the stress of having military parents deployed for extended periods of time. Photo by Rachel Mills
Col. Jack Howell founded Teens-In-Flight 32 years ago as a way to help teens who were dealing with the stress of having military parents deployed for extended periods of time. Photo by Rachel Mills
Instructor James Sorensen works with a student on the FAA Certified Flight Simulator. Photo by Rachel Mills
Students Trey Wood, Charlie Torrens, Vsevolod Tsyganov and Kash Silbernagel study together for the written FAA exam. Photo by Rachel Mills
Instructor James Sorensen works with a student on the FAA Certified Flight Simulator. Photo by Rachel Mills
Teens-In-Flight students run checks on a plane at Flagler Airport. Photo by Rachel Mills
Retired Col. Jack Howell had a vision.
That vision is now benefiting a group of talented Flagler County teens who are experiencing the aviation industry like they never thought they could, thanks to the Teens-in-Flight summer camp at the Flagler Airport.
Howell started Teens-In-Flight 32 years ago as a way to help teens who were dealing with the stress of having military parents on extended deployment. In the past, Howell ran summer camps where the students paid tuition, but this year he wanted to do something special: He wanted to sponsor 20 students with a budget of $3,500 each, so that they could attend the camp tuition free. He's covering the fees for private pilot ground school, the FAA written exam and six hours of flight time to go toward FAA certification.
“They’ll get three hours in the aircraft," Howell said. "They’ll get three hours on the simulator, which is an FAA approved simulator capable of giving them log book time."
The two-week summer camp experience has 16 active students, mostly from Flagler County. These are teens who are now able to have aviation experiences that they may not have had without this camp.
“A lot of these students have never been in a prop plane before, or had family members that were a pilot,” Camp Director Jamie Handy said. “So, this experience is really exposing them to career paths.”
Homeschool student Brant Tarsitano is grateful for the opportunity and is serious about using this camp as a way to make it into the aviation industry.
“The greatest benefit is how much I've learned, and then now how much I can go and apply this,” Tarsitano said. “I hope to get my private pilot’s license, get my commercial license, maybe flight instructor. I could take it far. I never thought I'd be able to do this or be here right now.”
Handy said that applicants for the program were selected using criteria including grades, grit and level of interest in aviation. This was what Jared Williams has been preparing for his whole life.
”I think through my application I showed that I had a deep desire to study aviation,” Williams said. “I think I proved I was able to learn and understand the material that we're teaching here.”
Howell has a continued vision for the program.
“Let’s help them produce. Let’s help them progress, and that’s what we’re doing with this camp,” Howell said. “Sometimes you have a kid that all [they] need to do is get hosed off with high pressure and there’s the diamond. We have diamonds!”
Parent Kelly Tarsitano couldn’t agree more and is grateful for her son, Brant’s transformation.
“This is a life changing opportunity. It’s going to change the rest of his life, “ Tarsitano said.
